Appalachian Studies Conference Presentation 3/21

33rd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference

"Remembering the Reedys:
Appalachian Music, Migration & Memory"
Multi-Media Presentation
(Tammy Clemons & Timi Reedy)
Concurrent Session 9: Sunday, March 21
9:15--10:30 a.m. (Location TBC)

Timi and I are really looking forward to our multi-media presentation at the upcoming Appalachian Studies Conference in Dahlonega, Georgia next month.  It will be exciting to share musical excerpts and footage from our documentary-in-progress about the musical and familial legacy of Frances and John Reedy and to receive feedback from other Appalachian scholars.

The Appalachian Studies Conference is one of my all-time favorite "academic" gatherings precisely because it is not a stuffy crowd of self-important elitists.  Appalachian Studies is a serious interdisciplinary area of study, but the very nature of the subject matter and the inevitable social, economic, and environmental implications of its inquiry make it a unique intellectual and activist community.  It is truly one of the coolest collection of folks for any reason, and it's a veritable "who's who" of well-known Appalachian authors, activists, artists, and icons.

I attended the conference the past three years (and presented twice) when I worked for Berea College.  The first time I went, I was overcome by such a strong feeling of homecoming, of belonging, that I knew I would try to come back every year.  This year, I knew that we had a great project to share, but we had to apply for scholarships to attend since my job ended.  We just found out today that our registration scholarships were approved!

We're planning to carpool and room with our long-time super-fun buddy, previous short-term roomie, accomplished musician/scholar, and fellow Fellow Deborah Thompson.  So our conference plans are coming together as March draws closer.  We've been working on several projects as follow-up to our fellowship and in preparation for this presentation that will provide some new audio and video material since our first public presentation.  Some of these projects are near completion and will soon be posted for perusal, but there is still much to be done before the conference.